Wearing apparel



Aug- 22, 1950 w. w. ARTzT 2,519,534

WEARING APPAREL Y Fild July 8, 1949 h INVENToR. WILL/HM VV. Rl-zrPatented Aug. 22, 1950 sy PATENT OFFICE WEARIN G APPAREL William W.Artzt, New Rochelle, N. Y., assignor to Lisle'Mills, Inc., Allentown,Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application J uly 8, 1949, Serial N0.103,557

. 11 Claims. l

The 4present invention relates to wearingapparel, particularly toimproved knitted undergarments. i

The primary object of the present invention is to provide machineknitted form-fitting undergarments, such as underdrawers or shorts andcombination shirt and drawer garments, which afford maximum comfort tofthe wearer in the seat, crotch andback areas Vand yet retain theirshape after repeated use and laundering thereof.

Another object resides in the provision of garments of the characterindicated Ywhich, when worn, will readily and automatically'conform tothe various parts of the body of the4 wearer.

-Another object is to provide such garments which are constructed of anintegrally continuously knitted piece of fabric.

Another objectris to provide such garments in a simple andveconomicalmanner.`

Other and further objects of thefinvention will be manifest from thefollowing description and the accompanying drawing.

` In accordance with the invention, the foregoing objects areaccomplished by providing a garment of the character indicatedfwhich isconstructed of a knitted fabric comprising a onepiece integral bodyportion or form including a crotch portion or flap, wherein either thefront or back orvboth have a longitudinal zone contiguous with andincluding the crotch portion which is of a knit more yieldableflaterallythan adjacent portions and the remainder of the body portion, the zonepreferably being plait-knitted and adapted to retain its shape'whenrelaxed and the remainder of the garment being of a conventional plainor jersey knit. Y

In the drawing: Y n

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a flat-knitted form for undergarmentsor shortsembodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the front of a garment constructed from theform shownj in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the back of the garment shown in Fig. 2:

. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the back of a circularly-knitted combinationshirt'vand drawer garment embodying the present invention;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan view of the lower front portion of -thegarment shown `in Fig. `4; and

1 Fig. 6 is a plan view of the front of a circu- Figs. 4 and 5.

(Cl. Gti-175) lariy-knitted combination shirt and drawer gary Vof thefold line.

Referring to the drawing in detail, and more particularly to Fig. 1thereof, there is shown a one-piece integral flat knitted form or bodyI0 for constructing underdrawers, shorts or the like. The form is shapedto comprise a top edge Il to provide a trunk opening, side edges l2adapted to be joined together at the front of the garment to provide afly, bottom edges I4 to provide leg openings, a flap l5 having a roundedlower edge I6 and depending from the bottom edges at the middle of theformto provide a crotch portion, and a rounded edge I1 between adjacent'side and bottom edges for joining the lower edge I6 of thefiap.

The form has a zone 20 at the middle thereof, preferably of the samewidth as the iiap and in alignment therewith, which extends from the topedge l l to the lower edge I6 and includes the entire flap. This zone isof a knit which is more yieldable laterally than adjacent portions andthe remainder of the form. To accomplish this, the zone is plait-knittedin a manner to stretch readily to afford maximum comfort to the wearerin the back, seat andcrotch areas, which zone will readily conform tothe parts of the body of the wearer, while being worn, and will returnto its original shape after repeated washings. The remainder of the formis of a conventional knitV which provides a form-fitting garment.

More particularly, the "zone 2l) may be of an accordion knit such asillustrated and described in United States Letters Patent No. 2,201,980,wherein a self-pleating machine knitted, double-rib fabric has fewerWales on the inside surface at the fold line'than at the outside surfaceFor example, the fabric may have one or more'wales missing on onesurface at every sixth, eighth or tenth wale position and have twoAadjacent `wales missing in the other surface at every fth and sixth,seventh and eighth,y or ninth and tenth Wale position,` respectiVeIy,`with the missing wales on one surface being generally equidistantlystaggered in relation to the missing wales of the other surface. Thethread forming the fabric is sufficiently tight in relation to thegaugeV and thickness of the thread to cause the fabric to fold itself inaccordion fashion along the lines of the missing wales. I'

Such a knit permits localized stretch at any point or area within thezone 2E! permitting greater comfort to the wearer of the garment "thanis provided by conventional garments of latter is effected by removingsome of the needles.

from one or both sets in this zone of the machine and feeding the threador yarn alternately to needles in the two different sets or rows orVneedles.

In the double-rib fabric Zone 20, made on such a machine, the threadforming each course forms a loop alternately on opposite vsides of l2are stitched at '22 to provide a fly opening, and an elastic waist band24 is sewn to the top edge Il. If desired, binding of any desired typemay be provided at the edges I2, and closure means secured in suchbinding.

In Figs. 4 and 5, there is shown a circularly knitted one-piececombination shirt and drawer garment comprising a body 29, shoulderstraps A3E) providingaJ neck opening 3| and arm openings 32, and acrotch -portion 34 providing leg openings 35. A double-rib knitted zoneextends from the middle of the neck opening through and including thecrotch portion to the other side 'of the garment as shown in Fig. 5. Itwill be appreciated that this zone could be provided on boththe' frontand back of the garment so that the front is substantially identicalwith the fabric over a suitable width and then for f either two or threestitches only on one face of the fabric and then again on both faces forthe same width and then again only on the opposite face for either twoor three stitches.

i The double-rib fabric zone 2B is produced by removing or renderingineffective and inoperative one or two needles at regular intervals ineach of the two rows or sets of needles in the Acorresponding zone ofthe machine, but with the spaces of the removed needles of one row beingstaggered in relation to the spaces of the removed needles of the otherrow, and 'then'knitting each thread over all the remaining needles .withsufficient tension so as to cause the fabric to fold by itself aroundthe point where one or the two needles are missing.

The garment form l0 may also be knitted on any other type ofdouble-needles row machine,

wherein in a zone of the machine the same thread may be fed alternatelyto the needles of one row and then to the needle of the other row, andso on across the length of theY needle bar. For example, a generallytubular form may be produced on a circular knitting machine and duction.

:Such circular double-needle row machines are exempliled by machinesmade by the Wildman Manufacturing Company of Morristown, Pennsylvania,wherein both rows of needles are arranged in a continuous uninterruptedcircle and in which one row of needles is arranged generally vertical,such needles being generally referred to as the cylinder needles, whilethe other row of needles is arranged generally radially and more or lessat right angles to the cylinder needles, the needles of this rowbeinggenerally referred to as the dial needles. The circular double needlerow machines may be either of the type in which the needle banks rotatein relation to non-rotating Ycams and in relation toI non-rotatingthread carriers or they maybe of the type in which the needle banks donot rotate and instead the actuating cams rotate along with the v threadcarriers or thread guides. Anyv of such machines may `be readilyarranged to knit the double-rib or plait-stitch at certain zones and a4plain or jersey knit at other zone, and thereby produce a fabric of twotypes of knit adapted to be converted into the form I0. l

In Figs. 2 and 3, drawers or shorts constructed from the form I0 areshown, wherein the edges I6 and I1 are stitched at 2| and the side edgesthe back, shownin Fig. 4. In other words, the

.backlit-'such garment would be as shown in Fig. 4 and the front thereofwould be as shown in The zone- 251 (Fig-4) is of similar knit asdescribed in connection with the zone 2! of Figs. 1 to 3, and theremainder of the garment is of a conventional plain or jersey knit.

The garment isadapted to be produced -by a circularv knitting 'machineas vpreviously described here-in. Y Such a machine provides a tubularform from Awhich the garment may be made, without .cutting open Vtheform, as illustrated in Fig. l. By knitting the Vform more or less topredetermined diameters on machines of correspondingdiameters, it isonly necessary to cut the top and bottom thereof to conform to thenecessary shape of thegarment to nt the varlousvbody portions suchA asarms, legs, neck,

etc. v

From the fonegoi-rf1eV description, it Win be seen that -thepresentinvention provides improved undergarments which afford 4mairimumcomfort to the wearer,retain their shape, permit laundering'withouteiecting their shape, and which can be manufactured-in a simple andeconomical manner. It will also be appreciated that the garmentsillustrated l.herein could be formed with sleeve or leg portions, ifdesired.

While I have illustrated andr described preferred embodiments ofmyinvention, lit is to be understood thatIdo not wish to be limited tothose ,precise embodiments, as obviously Various modificationsv andvchanges may be made therein without departing.- from the spirit andscope of my invention.`

What I claim is: .l.-An undergarment formed v of a knitted `fabric.comprising an, integral body portion having front andback sides, -one ofsaid sides having a longitudinal zone of a knit more yieldable.laterally than adjacent portions and Vthe `remainder .of-saidbodyportion and including a crotch portion of the same knit as said z cneand .being joined with .theother side of -saidbody portion.. A

2. An --undergarment for-med'- of a knitted fabric comprising anintegral-body portion having leg openings. therein and a crotch portionbetween-said openings contiguous withrone side of said body portionandjoined with the other .sidefof said ,body portion-,said iirst mentionedside-having .a longitudinal zonevof a knit more yieldable laterally thanYadjacent portions 'and the remainder4 lof-said vbody portion and saidcrotch portion Abeing of Ythe same knit as said zoneand.a.continuatQn-thereof.

3. An undergarment formed of a knitted -fabric comprising an integralbody portion having front and back sides, said back side having alongitudinal Zone at the middle thereof of a knit more yieldablelaterally than adjacent portions and the remainder of said body portion,and a crotch portion of the same knit as said zone and being acontinuation thereof and being joined with said front side.

4. An undergarment formed of a knitted iabric comprising an integrallyknitted one-piece body having front and back sides, leg openings and acrotch portion, said body being formed with a continuous zone of a knitmore yieldable laterally than the remainder of said body, said zoneincluding the middle of said back side and said crotch portion.

5. An undergarment formed of a knitted fabric comprising an integrallyknitted one-piece body having front and back sides, trunk and legopenings and a crotch portion contiguous with said back side and joinedwith said front side, said body being formed with a continuous zone of aknit more yieldable laterally than the remainder of said body extendingfrom said trunk opening at the middle of said back side to the junctionof said crotch portion and said front side.

6. An undergarment according to claim 5, wherein said zone isplait-knitted and adapted to retain its shape when relaxed and theremainder of the garment is of a conventional knit.

7. An undergarment formed of a knitted fabric comprising a circularlyknitted one-piece body having front and back sides, neck, arm and legopenings and a crotch portion contiguous with said back side and saidfront side, said body being formed with a continuous zone of a knit moreyieldable laterally than the remainder of said body extending from saidneck opening at the middle of said back side to the lower end of saidfront side and including said crotch portion.

` 8. An undergarment according to claim 7 wherein said zone isplait-knitted and adapted to retain its shape when relaxed and theremainder of the garment is of a conventional knit.

Cil

9. A continuously knitted one-piece form of a shape to provideundergarments having a depending fiap at the middle providing the crotchportion, said form being characterized in that the fiap and a middlezone above and in alignment with the flap is of a knit more yieldablelaterally than the remainder of said form.

10. A circularly knitted one-piece tubular undergarment having a backand front provided with neck and arm openings at one end and legopenings and an intermediate crotch portion at the other end, saidgarment having a zone extending from the middle of said neck opening atsaid back through said crotch portion to said front, said zone being ofa knit more yieldable laterally than the remainder of said garment.

11. A circularly, integrally, continuously knitted one-piece tubularundergarment having a back and front provided with neck and arm openingsat one end and leg openings and an intermediate crotch portion at theother end, said garment having a zone extending from the middle of saidneck opening at said back through said crotch portion to the middle ofsaid neck opening at said front, said zone being of a knit moreyieldable laterally than the remainder of said garment.

WILLIAM W. ARTZ'I.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,074,119 Boysen et al Mar. 16,1937 2,165,077 Spordick July 4, 1939 2,201,980 Artzt et al May 28, 19402,220,277 Ralston Nov. 5, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date516,496 Great Britain Jan. 3, 1940

